Why not another U.S. Open at The Country Club?

Sunday

Aug 18, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Bill Doyle, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

BROOKLINE — The Country Club has hosted the U.S. Amateur this week to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Francis Ouimet's upset victory here in the U.S. Open, a win that is credited with helping popularize golf in this country.

So why didn't TCC host the U.S. Open instead of the U.S. Amateur? After all, TCC hosted the U.S. Open on the 50th and 75th anniversaries of Ouimet's victory — why not the 100th?

Sandy Tierney, general chairman of the U.S. Amateur and a TCC member, said there were a number of reasons, among them the logistics of hosting such an event. The U.S. Open draws far more spectators, 25,000 or more a day, compared to fewer than 5,000 a day for the U.S. Amateur. So dealing with traffic and parking, and securing more volunteers, would be more challenging.

After hosting the Ryder Cup in 1988, TCC was scheduled to host the 2005 PGA Championship, but after meeting with officials from the PGA and the town of Brookline, TCC pulled out.

"It's a major burden on the town of Brookline," Tierney said.

The United States Golf Association didn't offer TCC the 2013 U.S. Open, but the TCC didn't seek it out, either. You've got to believe that if TCC, one of the five founding member clubs of the USGA, had asked, the USGA would have granted the request to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ouimet's win.

Tierney wouldn't rule out TCC hosting another U.S. Open, but it sounds as if there's no consensus among members to do so.

"There's 950 members at this club," Tierney said, "and there's probably 950 different opinions on those sorts of issues."

TCC won't host one soon because the U.S. Open already has booked courses through 2020.

"People wanted to see how the course did in this event," Tierney said, "so I wouldn't be surprised to be see a USGA event here in the future. Whether it's an Open or not, a lot of questions have to be answered before that happens, but anything's possible."

Merion Golf Club outside Philadelphia hosted the 2013 U.S. Open, and members had to hit off mats for a year to keep the tees pristine.

Tierney said for the month prior to the U.S. Amateur, TCC limited the amount of guest play and members were given the option to hit off mats. Some actually did.

Including practice rounds, the U.S. Amateur takes 10 days away from members.

But August is a slower time for TCC because many members are away on vacation.

Tierney said about 4,000 people attended Friday's quarterfinals, a bit more viewed Saturday's semis, and he hopes even more will attend today's 36-hole final.

"It's what we hoped for," Tierney said. "The weather obviously was terrific. That gave us the opportunity to get a lot more people out here than might have otherwise come."

The competitors raved about TCC's layout and the way they were treated, but many called it the most difficult course they ever played because of its 7,200 yards, deep rough and small greens.

"I'd be lucky if I broke 90," said Tierney, a 5 handicap.

Finalists pitch in for Red Sox

Finalists Matt Fitzpatrick of England and Oliver Goss of Australia were invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitches at the Red Sox-Yankees game Saturday.

Neither Fitzpatrick nor Goss has ever played in a baseball game, but both had thrown a baseball before.

"I'm guessing I'm going to be really nervous," Goss said, "because I know how big and serious the game is, but I'm going to be really excited. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing."